College World Series, Tigers win 11-inning thriller over Texas, 7-6

OMAHA, NEB. -- Mikie Mahtook drilled a clutch single with two out in top of the 11th inning to score D.J. LeMahieu, and the LSU Tigers held on to notch a dramatic 7-6 win over the Texas Longhorns in the opening game of the College World Series finals.

The win puts the Tiger baseball team within one game of its sixth national championship. Game two of the best-of-three series is Tuesday night.

Mahtook drives in go-ahead run

Mikie Mahtook drove a two-out 1-2 pitch into center field for a run-scoring single in the top of the 11th, putting the Tigers ahead of Texas.

Mahtook's single scored D.J. LeMahieu, who had walked to open the inning, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the Texas catcher.

In the bottom of the 11th, Tigers closer Matty Ott came in to nail down the win for LSU in his third inning of relief.

Drama continues in the 10th

Texas moved a runner to second base in the bottom of the 9th, but Tigers' closer Matty Ott worked out of the jam to send the game into extra innings.

To open the 10th, LSU catcher Micah Gibbs walked on four pitches. Mikie Mahtook stroked a single to right field, right under Gibbs' legs, putting runners at first and second with none out and Jared Mitchell at the plate.

Mitchell flied out to right, but Gibbs tagged up and reached third. WIth Leon Landry at bat, Mahtook went to second on a wild pitch. At that point, Landry was walked intentionally to load the bases, with one out. Brandon Workman relieved Dicharry for Texas and struck out Derek Helenihi and Tyler Hanover to defuse the Tiger threat.

In the bottom of the 10th, Ott got two quick outs, walked a batter then struck out Kyle Lusson to send the game into the 11th.

Tigers rally to tie the score 6-6

The Tigers trailed for much of the game -- an unusual circumstance for them in this College World Series -- but when they found themselves down to their final three outs in the top of the ninth, they rallied to tie the score yet again.

With one out, Sean Ochinko singled, and Leon Landry was sent in to pinch-run for him.

The crowd has thinned out a bit -- there are at least a few empty seats visible in every section of the stadium. Those who remain are very much into the game, cheering on every pitch now.

Taylor Jungmann just relieved Austin Wood to try and close out a win for the Longhorns, but he promptly walked Derek Helenihi. With the count 2-0 to pinch-hitter Tyler Hanover, Texas is making another pitching change, going with Austin Dicharry.

Tiger fans throughout the stadium are on their feet, cheering nonstop and trying to will the rally to continue. Hanover worked the count full but struck out swinging.

Back to the top of the order, D.J. LeMahieu stroked a first-pitch double down the left-field line, scoring both runners to tie the score.

Bertuccini now pitching for LSU

Paul Bertuccini got the call from the bullpen to start the bottom of the 8th inning. During his warmups, two of his eight pitches sailed far over catcher Micah Gibbs' head, prompting cheers and catcalls from Texas fans. Leadoff batter Tant Shepherd drew a walk to start the inning, but he was stranded at second.

Home run derby continues for Texas; Coleman yanked

Brandon Loy led off the bottom of the 7th with a solo homer to left field, upping the Texas lead to 6-4.

The 5th solo home run of the game for the Longhorns, it chased LSU starter Louis Coleman, who gave up six runs, all earned, and struck out six in six innings of work. Coleman was relieved by Chad Jones, who quickly showed off his wheels by beating the first Longhorn batter he faced to first base on a sharp grounder fielded by LSU first baseman Sean Ochinko.

LeMahieu homers for Tigers

WIth two out in the top of the 7th inning, D.J. LeMahieu propelled 2-2 pitch over the centerfield wall to cut the Texas lead to 5-4. It was the first homer for the Tigers' leadoff hitter since May 8.

Longhorns regain the lead, 5-3

Texas didn't let the tie score stay up for very long. In the bottom of the sixth, Russell Moldenhauer hit his second home run in consecutive at-bats to put the Longhorns back ahead, 4-3.

They prolonged the rally to add another run in the inning to make it 5-3. Kevin Keyes scored from third on a play that looked to many in the stadium -- and on the TV replay -- like the batter was hit by the pitch, which would have forced Keyes to stay at third. But the home plate umpire ruled it a wild pitch and Keyes scampered home.

Mahtook shaken up

Outfielder Mikie Mahtook made a thrilling catch at the centerfield wall to open the bottom of the sixth inning, but he was shaken up on the play. After a team trainer attended to him in the field for a few minutes, Mahtook walked it off and stayed in the game.

LSU rallies back in the 6th

The LSU contingent in the Rosenblatt Stadium stands had been eerily quiet for a couple innings, but Jared Mitchell brought the Tiger partisans back to live with a dramatic triple that scored two runs and knotted the score at 3-3.

Longhorns take the lead with three dingers

Texas smacked three solo home runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-1 lead over LSU.

Left field is lively

Omaha's left-field lunatics are in fine form tonight. Seemingly wall-to-wall with Tiger fans, the left field bleachers erupted into wild cheers when first-inning hero Ryan Schimpf made a routine catch on a fly ball. Between innings, they broke out no less than 10 beach balls, and managed to keep them all from drifting into the field of play.

A Tiger fan in a purple shirt caught the first of three home runs slugged by Texas in the bottom of the fourth inning, and to the delight of the LSU contingent surrounding him, he threw the ball back onto the field. It was an impressive toss, reaching three-fourths of the way to the infield.

Small ball comes up short in 3rd

Austin Nola opened the third with a sharp single to right, and D.J. LeMahieu quickly bunted him over to second, but Nola was stranded at second base. Ryan Schimpf, who homered in his first at-bat, was called out on strikes, and Blake Dean popped out to second to end the inning.

So far, so good for Coleman

LSU starter Louis Coleman painted the outside corner with a beautiful two-strike pitch to whiff Brandon Loy to end the bottom of the second. After two innings, Coleman has yet to throw a first-pitch strike to any Longhorn batter, but he has shown lots of movement on his pitches.

Texas DH Russell Moldenhauer opened the inning with a single up the middle, but the Longhorns could not move him over.

Nothing doing for Tigers in top of second

Mikie Mahtook had a first-at-bat homer in an earlier CWS game, but he struck out awkwardly to open the second inning. With two strikes, Mahtook dug in, then raised his asking home plate umpire Tony Maners to call time out. Maners refused, though, and Mahtook swung and missed at Texas starter Chance Ruffin's next pitch.

Right fielder Jared Mitchell stroked a single to center next, but he was stranded at first to end the inning.

Tigers break out to a quick 1-0 lead over Texas

Covington's Ryan Schimpf set the right tone for the Tigers and their legions of fans with a solo homer in the top of the first, putting LSU ahead 1-0.

Schimpf was mobbed by his jubilant teammates after crossing home plate. In the stands, Tiger fans mobbed each other, with high-fives and whoops all around. If team colors are any indication, Tiger fans are far outnumbering Longhorn fans here in the stadium tonight.

Tiger starting pitcher Louis Coleman looked strong in the bottom of the inning, setting the Longhorns down with little trouble.

Pregame sights and sounds

LSU players filed out of their dugout along the first-base line at 4:30 for pregame warmups. Texas was still taking batting practice, so the Tigers shuffled back and forth in a running drill in front of their dugout. When the Tigers replaced the Longhorns on the field for their own batting practice and on-field drills, they were greeted with a substantial ovation from the preponderance of purple-and-gold-clad fans that already had filed into Rosenblatt Stadium.

In and out of the stadium, people are complaining about Monday's heat wave here in the heartland. At 5 p.m., the temperature in downtown Omaha was 94 degrees. Back home, it was 95 in New Orleans and 86 in Baton Rouge.

ESPN broadcasters Mike Franklin and Orel Hershiser are both wearing purple for tonight's game. That can't be just a coincidence, can it?

At game time, the general-admission outfield bleachers were standing-room only. Fans were still pouring into the field boxes, where scattered seats remained empty.